Keywords:
Radioprotection / Radiation dose, Radiographers, Conventional radiography, CT, Radiation safety, Education and training
Authors:
W. Yacoub, F. bouzayene, S. Sridi, N. chouchane, T. Rzigua , H. Zaghouani, D. Bakir; Sousse/TN
DOI:
10.26044/ecr2019/C-0460
Results
36 Workers were included in the study with a sex ratio M/F of 0.56.
Participants were 6 Radiologists (16.7 %,),
6 nurses (16.7%) and 24 Radiographers (66.6%).
47.2% of the participants had more than 50 years and 41.7% had more than 25 years of experience in an imaging unit (Fig.1).
Fig. 1: Number of years of experience in imaging units
References: Department of Radiology, Farhat Hached Hospital, Sousse, Medical University of Sousse / Tunisie 2018
Despite that the 3 fundamental principles of radiation protection (justification,
optimization and individual dose limitation) are cited in the Tunisian law,
only 13.9% of the participants knew them.
This rate was even lower among radiographers (8.3%) (Fig.2).
Fig. 2: Participants’ knowledge of the 3 fundamental principles of radiation protection
References: Department of Radiology, Farhat Hached Hospital, Sousse, Medical University of Sousse / Tunisie 2018
Since April 1986,
the Tunisian law has fixed dose limits for public,
professionals and trainees (1).
Figure 3,
shows that approximately only one third of the participants knew the existence of such regulation but no one knew dose limits.
Fig. 3: Participants’ knowledge concerning Tunisian radiation protection laws
References: Department of Radiology, Farhat Hached Hospital, Sousse, Medical University of Sousse / Tunisie 2018
77.8% of the participants knew that pregnant professionals had the right to temporarily change of workstation to be less exposed to radiations.
30.5% of the participants knew the category of worker under radiation they belonged to.
All our results show that participants’ knowledge about radiation protection is limited.
This can be explained by:
- The lack of radiation protection formations: Only half of the radiographers and 16% of the radiologists had a radiation protection formation after their graduation.
- The huge gap between legislation and real working conditions: This gap make professionals don’t pay attention to law texts because many of them are not respected.
For example,
the law makes compulsory dosimetry for professionals and dose history archiving for 20 years after retirement.
But,
in our study,
we found that the participants didn’t have any dosimeter for 3 years because of economic and administrative problems in the national center of radiation protection.